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Report - Mayday 2001 in London
Much of this information summarises the more detailed reports on Indymedia.
All
day Hackney
Council Workers on Strike
Thousands of workers are striking against cuts.
Evening Standard reports that 1400 police eat "a traditional English breakfast" at a "marquee in East London" - total cost �20,000.�
8am Critical
Mass Bike Rides Set Off
350 people on Eastern branch, 200 on Western. Picture, left, shows
scene at Liverpool St station as cyclists gather. (Much
larger version on Indymedia
site.)
Joined by GPs, nurses, health workers, Greens and Socialist Alliance. Royal London is threatened with privatisation under the government's PFI scheme.
10am Critical
Mass Bike Rides Arrive at King's Cross
Animal activists give out free veggie burgers in front of
McDonald's. Cyclists blockade road. By 10.40 there are 1000
demonstrators. Police force crowd towards Euston station, where they
protest outside Railtrack headquarters.
Police have surrounded entire area, are refusing to let people leave. Police plan to search everyone for weapons before allowing them to leave.
12
noon Pall
Mall
Protesters build houses out of cardboard boxes to highlight the
number of homeless people in London.
Around 200 people protest at Malet St.
12.45pm Back at
Euston...
150 people still left - police only letting people out through
one exit and searching them all as they leave.
300 protesters, including Wombles. Sound system, relaxed atmosphere.
1pm Protest
at Coutts, the royal bank
100 people, wearing pink wigs and carrying balloons. Banner unfurled
reading "Break the bank, end all debt, abolish money." Police
surround action and prevent late arrivals from joining.
Around 300 people gather with fat cat placards and dollar signs, chanting about how the World Bank exploits the poor.
1.30pm
Trade
union march, North London
Up to 1500 people join march organised by South East Region TUC. Police close off Upper St and Essex Rd to
traffic as march approaches Angel. (Picture, right)
Small protest faces serious police harassment: protesters forced up against wall and searched by police who arrive in two unmarked vans.
2.20pm Oxford
Circus
Around 2000 people now at Oxford Circus. Police block off area
with 20 vans each to North and South. People can't enter the area or
leave it. Atmosphere in crowd relaxed. There is an eyewitness
account on Indymedia of Oxford Circus at this point.
Around 400 people from Elephant and Castle event prevented by police from crossing bridge into Central London
3.10pm
Oxford
Circus
Police change from ordinary uniforms to riot gear. Tension mounts in
crowd. Some arrests in next hour. Large numbers of people around
Oxford Circus outside police lines. Emergency ambulances waiting in
side streets. Picture, right, shows ambulance workers in overalls
and crash helmets waiting in Regent St.
300 people with a samba band march into Holles St, round corner from Oxford Circus. Good humoured crowd. Police form lines at both end of street - people prevented from going into Oxford St, and also from leaving.
5pm Central
London
Police have blocked traffic from entering a large area of
Central London, as far north as Marylebone Road.
Reports that Wombles and around 1000 demonstrators have broken through police lines. Actor Anna Carteret, who one played policewoman Juliet Bravo on TV, was allowed to leave around now - her statement is here.
6.30pm Oxford
Circus, Holles St
Large groups of protesters still trapped in both areas. BBC News 24
reports that atmosphere still generally good, but frustration
growing - protesters chant "We Want Out." There has been
heavy rain during the afternoon, people are wet and tired.
Crowd at Oxford Circus pushed into centre of area, causing a crush: no-one being released yet. People now being released from Holles St one by one, after being searched and photographed. BBC reports there have been 24 arrests so far.
8pm Oxford
Circus
It's beginning to get dark. Police still now allowing
people to leave Oxford Circus - in very small groups or
individually. Most protesters have now been there for six hours.
Number of arrests now over 40. Police say that 5000 people attended
Oxford Circus protest. Evening Standard claims 6000 police
involved in policing operation. We have a statement
from one protester trapped at Oxford Circus for eight hours.
Last protesters now released.